News Archive for 05/03/21

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iPod shuffle car charger

03/21, 8:00pm

ezGear ships iPod shuffle car charger

ezGear, a marketer of iPod accessories, announced today that it is shipping ezCharge Shuffle, the first car charger for the iPod Shuffle. According to ezGear, “the iPod shuffle is for people on the go and users shouldn’t have to wait until they get home to recharge their iPod Shuffles.” The ezCharge Shuffle comes in gloss white and includes a high quality coiled cable and a fuse protected car plug. The suggested retail price for the ezCharge Shuffle is $25. The ezCharge Shuffle is available from ezGear and iPod resellers.

Apple disables PyMusique

03/21, 6:15pm

Apple closes iTunes security hole, disables PyMusique

Apple has closed a security hole that allowed the underground PyMusique utility access to the iTunes Music Store as well as purchase song stripped of any copy-protection. Released last week, PyMusique provided an alternative interface to the iTunes Music Store: it allowed users to register at the store, purchase music, and download songs (multiple times) without the playback restrictions associated with Apple's FairPlay DRM. Apple said it closed the security hole that opened a "backdoor" into the iTunes system, allowing PyMusique access to the software, according to ZDNet. Some iTunes customers--as many as 15 percent of users--would need to upgrade their software. "The security hole in the iTunes Music Store which was recently exploited has been closed, and as a consequence the iTunes Music Store will now sell music only to customers using iTunes version 4.7."

iPod Camera Connector

03/21, 3:55pm

Apple taking orders for iPod Camera Connector

The Apple Store is now taking pre-orders for the iPod Camera Connector. The connector, announced at Macworld Expo earlier this year, is available for $30 and has an estimated ship time of 1-3 weeks: "Simply plug the iPod Camera Connector into the iPod dock connector, plug your camera's USB cable and watch your images make their way to the iPod, ready to view in a slide show! Compatible with iPod photo (30/40/60GB). Requires iPod software v1.1."

iPod knockoff a PR stunt

03/21, 10:40am

LuxPro iPod shuffle knockoff a PR stunt?

An iPod shuffle knockoff shown at CeBit by LuxPro may have been nothing more than a publicity stunt, according to information collected by Jack Campbell from DVForge. "The Super Shuffle is not in production by LuxPro ... There is no intent by LuxPro to ever put the Super Shuffle into production ... LuxPro is looking for companies to hire LuxPro to build uniquely designed players, based around the same electronics inside the Super Shuffle ... the entire CeBit sideshow was planned from the start as a gambit to gain a hugely disproportionate share of the industry’s attention, so as to find a few customers for the Super Shuffle’s electronics." Campbell concludes that "there will be no Apple lawsuits, no Super Shuffles fighting their way onto racks at Circuit City, no angry mobs of Apple lawyers storming the LuxPro factory. This was not a prank, nor was it an act of blind stupidity. In my view, it was one of the most clever PR maneuvers I have ever seen executed by a small company."

iPod shuffle DecoDock

03/21, 9:05am

DecoDock for iPod shuffle coming in April

Pressure Drop today announces DecoDock, a stylish dock designed for the iPod shuffle. DecoDock provides an elegant solution for users who want a simple way to connect their iPod shuffle to their computer. Designed in the classic Art Deco style, the DecoDock’s lighted columns tower over a "brilliantly colored and graceful arc, enhancing the pleasing simplicity of the iPod shuffle." The iPod's plastic cap can be stored in the back of the DecoDock, a unique feature designed to help prevent it from getting lost. "We took the clean, simple lines of the iPod shuffle and enhanced them, making the DecoDock and shuffle blend seamlessly together in an artistic and exciting way." It will be available in April in a variety of colors for $29.

iPod/phone convergence

03/21, 8:55am

Music phone users differ from iPod owners

While the "save-a-pocket logic" of offering consumers iPod-like music capability built into a wireless phone seems obvious, there are several factors working against such a marriage, reports The Boston Globe. This month, Motorola delayed a phone that could download from iTunes. Analysts speculate that Motorola had faced pressure to drop the phone because buyers would be able to bypass the carriers' pricier music-download services. If people can buy a phone and download music from their computer song collection, ''that's not an interesting business proposition for the carrier," said analyst John Orlando. He also said ''iPod users and mobile phone users are completely different people ... It's a song they want right now ... They'll buy a song for $2 and listen to it for a few days, and then buy a new one." But analyst Adam Benjamin, said an iPod-cellphone combination "is going to take a while to happen. Convergence always takes longer than people think."